Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Negative: 0 out of 21
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  1. 100
    The first comeback album in history by an iconic rock act that stands up against anything else on the shelves today.... This is the mighty Van Halen at their best.
  2. 91
    The result is a gloriously satisfying cop-out.
  3. Feb 21, 2012
    80
    Van Halen have found their dazzle without a hassle.
  4. Feb 9, 2012
    80
    A Different Kind Of Truth sounds familiar in the best way.
  5. Feb 7, 2012
    80
    Instead of trying to fit into the past, Van Halen are using their history to revive their present and they succeed surprisingly well on A Different Kind of Truth.
  6. Feb 6, 2012
    80
    Against the odds, the party metal kings are back and blazing.
  7. Feb 23, 2012
    78
    As comeback albums go, though, this one feels unusually natural.
  8. Feb 7, 2012
    75
    Together, Eddie and Diamond Dave have achieved a simple yet hard-to-pull-off goal with A Different Kind Of Truth: Sounding like the Van Halen we (want to) remember.
  9. Mar 13, 2012
    70
    Once you're past the confusion of any preconceptions, it's a solid rock album.
  10. 70
    For an album that you might think is merely an excuse for a megabucks world tour, it sure does, er, wail.
  11. Feb 9, 2012
    70
    If the songs are based on 1970s demos, that was a wise move, because wherever these 13 tunes came from, there isn't a single Waldo on the bus.
  12. Feb 7, 2012
    70
    It isn't perfect, but it's far better than it needed to be to satisfy the requirements of a round of nostalgic cash-grabbing.
  13. Feb 7, 2012
    70
    It's not perfect--it's too long by a third, David Lee Roth often sounds like a 2 A.M. drunk doing David Lee Roth at karaoke, and a Kinks cover wouldn't have killed them. But the album clearly aspires to both be part of the canon, and, if need be, serve as an entry point.
  14. Feb 6, 2012
    70
    A Different Kind Of Truth is ultimately an accomplished, hard-rocking record that somehow manages to not sound too dated.
  15. Feb 6, 2012
    70
    Over 13 tracks, A Different Kind of Truth offers the same youthful escape that sold the band to millions worldwide over 30 years ago.
  16. Feb 23, 2012
    67
    A Different Kind of Truth, lucky No. 7.
  17. Feb 6, 2012
    63
    The boys with crow's feet and bum hips have made an album that speaks to the inner 16-year-old of their audience.
  18. 63
    A Different Kind of Truth is actually not bad; in fact, it's pretty good, all things considered.
  19. Metal Hammer (UK)
    Mar 19, 2012
    60
    Even though it's good to see Van Halen up and around, A Different Kind Of Truth is not the resurrection that we all dared to dream of. [Apr 2012, p.102]
  20. Feb 13, 2012
    50
    A fun and nostalgic listen for fans of the band, but on the whole rather unmemorable.
  21. Mojo
    Mar 22, 2012
    40
    A disappointment. [Apr 2012, p.88]
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 33
  2. Negative: 3 out of 33
  1. Feb 7, 2012
    9
    Great return to form from a great band that hasn't been great in a while. Roth doesn't sound as powerful as he used to, but he sings with aGreat return to form from a great band that hasn't been great in a while. Roth doesn't sound as powerful as he used to, but he sings with a maturity that he used to lack. The band sounds as heavy and loud as ever like they've got something to prove and frankly, they did. It's great that they remembered who they are. The only gripe I have is the choice to use Tattoo as the first single and first track, as it's easily the worst song on the album. Full Review »
  2. Feb 7, 2012
    8
    Hoped for the best, prepared for the worst. This album is closer to the former of the two. There are definitely some clunker moments. "Tattoo"Hoped for the best, prepared for the worst. This album is closer to the former of the two. There are definitely some clunker moments. "Tattoo" is not a great song but most reviews (including this one) actually quote the lyrics incorrectly, so how much weight can you give the writer's opinion on that track? The more I've played this disc the more it grows on me. After listening to a bootleg copy for a week, I finally got the opportunity to buy it today. I popped it in the car system and took an hour drive with it at embarrassing levels. This CD not only gets better the more you listen to it but also the LOUDER you listen to it. It misses be a classic VH album, but not by as much as you would expect. There are definitely songs on it that belong in the canon. Bottom line: This is the heaviest record VH ever made and it is probably the best since "1984." Full Review »
  3. Apr 26, 2012
    7
    If someone claims to be a fan of hard rock, and doesn't know Van Halen - he simply ain't. For the rest there's a relevant message that theIf someone claims to be a fan of hard rock, and doesn't know Van Halen - he simply ain't. For the rest there's a relevant message that the single "Tattoo" from latest - the first in 14 years album "A Different Kind Of Truth", rock out radio stations. David Lee Roth and the company serves us thirteen rock / metal compositions maintaining high level. "China Town", "Bullethead" or "The Trouble With Never" is only a foretaste of what to expect on the album. Full Review »